Goddard Lieberson
| Goddard Lieberson | |
|---|---|
 Goddard circa 1950 | |
| Born | April 5, 1911 |
| Died | May 29, 1977 (aged 66) Manhattan, New York |
| Spouse(s) | Vera Zorina (m. 1946–1977) |
Goddard Lieberson (April 5, 1911 – May 29, 1977) was the president of Columbia Records from 1956 to 1971, and again from 1973 to 1975.[1] He became president of the Recording Industry Association of America in 1964.[2] He was also a composer, and studied with George Frederick McKay, at the University of Washington, Seattle.
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[edit] Biography
He was born on April 5, 1911. He married actress/dancer Vera Zorina from 1946 until his death in 1977. They had two sons: Peter Lieberson, a composer, and Jonathan Lieberson.
Before becoming president of the company, Lieberson was responsible for Columbia's introduction of the long-playing record.[3] The LP was particularly well-suited to Columbia's long-established classical repertoire, as recorded by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Artur Rodziński, Dmitri Mitropoulos, and Leonard Bernstein.
He was promoted to president of Columbia Records from 1956 to 1971 and again from 1973 to 1975. In 1966, in a reorganization, Columbia Records became subsidiary to the newly formed CBS/Columbia Group.[4] In 1967, Lieberson promoted Clive Davis to the president of Columbia Records.
He died of cancer in New York City on May 29, 1977, aged 66.[3]
[edit] Cast recordings
His greatest legacy, however, was probably the original cast recordings he produced. Columbia was not the first to offer such recordings; Musicraft's 1938 recording of The Cradle Will Rock was the first (not Decca's 1943 recording of Oklahoma! as is often erroneously stated). Lieberson's recordings at Columbia, however, were influential.
In addition to documenting the musical performances of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Lieberson also produced notable studio cast recordings of musicals of the 1930s and 1940s, such as Pal Joey and The Boys from Syracuse, for which cast albums had not been made.
[edit] See also
[edit] Positions
| Preceded by | President of Columbia Records/CBS Records 1956 to 1971 | Succeeded by Clive Davis |
| Preceded by | President of RIAA 1964 to ? | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Clive Davis | President of CBS Records 1973 to 1975 | Succeeded by Walter Yetnikoff |
[edit] References
- ^ "Lieberson, Back at C.B.S. Post Talks About Rock and Records. Lieberson Challenges Image". New York Times. May 31, 1973. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
- ^ "Goddard Lieberson Named Head of Record Association". New York Times. January 22, 1964. Retrieved 2012-08-25. "Goddard Lieberson, head of Columbia Records, was elected president of the Record Industry Association of America yesterday. ..."
- ^ a b "Goddard Lieberson, Who Fostered LP's at Columbia Records, Dies; Goddard Lieberson, Who Fostered LP's at Columbia Records, Dead". New York Times. May 30, 1977. Retrieved 2012-08-25. "Goddard Lieberson, president of Columbia Records for 19 years, who introduced long-playing records to the American public, died of cancer early yesterday at his home in Manhattan. He was 66 years old."
- ^ "Lieberson Heads New C.B.S. Group. Put in Charge of Activities Outside Broadcasting". New York Times. June 10, 1966. Retrieved 2012-08-25. "Goddard Lieberson, one of the more prominent figures in the phonograph recording industry, has been named president of the C.B.S./Columbia Group, a new unit of the Columbia Broadcasting System for expanded activities in education and music. The unit is part of the company's longrange plans to achieve greater diversification outside the field of broadcasting."
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